277: Solo Expedition through the Darien Gap

Hailing from Birmingham in the UK, Daniel Eggington is a keen adventurer and his latest challenge is to cross the infamous Darien Gap from Colombia to Panama. 

For those unaware of this stretch of land which connects South to Central America, the Darien Gap is a remote, roadless swath of jungle on the border of Panama & Colombia. It is known as a drug smuggling, people trafficking and lawless corridor between the two countries, it’s rarely seen by outsiders, and for good reason. 

The Darien has an almost mythical quality to it — a mysterious land full of exotic plants, rare wildlife, indigenous people and dangerous paramilitary groups. And Daniel Eggington plans to do this solo in December 2019. 

We chat to Daniel (www.merchanttraveller.com) to find out why he wants to do this dangerous trek of roughly 60 miles over 15 days. Here at Colombia Calling, we felt it was our responsibility to explain a number of the risks and also tell Daniel about the fate of a swedish traveller who was tragically murdered by a guerrilla group operating in the area. 

But, Daniel Eggington has his mind made up, tune in to hear about his preparations for this intrepid hike through off-limits Colombia.